The Original History

The roots of The Shadow Knights began when the Knights of Gareth's Keep accepted a young applicant into their page initiate program, Shay Kayen, son of Ryen, a wealthy merchant of Verminasia. Ryen had forced his son into the Knighthood, fearing that the young boy's growing curiousity and studies of the founder of Eclipse, San Godham, would turn into something much more morbid and sinister.

As a page initiate in training, Shay learned all that he could about the structure, organization, and mentality of the Knights. The youth, however, did not gain the favor of the Knights of Gareth's Keep. His rebellious attitude and lack of respect for their oath and their gods won him few friends amongst his peers and mentors.

Shay continued to study the Knighthood as a warrior studies his enemy. In less than a year, he grew to know more of their politics and infrastructure than many who had lived within it for most of their life. His studies complete, he left Gareth's Keep under the cover of darkness, returned to Verminasia, and was accepted into the Eclipse.

It was here that he crossed paths with his childhood friend, Ishamael Rinji. As children, the two had dreamed of San Godham and his ideals, wearing mismatched pieces of armor and waving swords nearly too heavy for their youthful builds to lift. Now, it seemed, those dreams might become reality.

It was then that the two met Malcom drak'Martys, Prophet of Necrucifer. It was Malcom whose visions would spur the movement forward. Little is known of exactly what the Master of Darkness revealed to his prophet, although it is said he foretold much of what was to come. Malcom, though quiet and reserved, taught them much of their destiny. They learned more than the biased histories of the Knighthood could ever possibly reveal. Most importantly, they learned that San Godham had never intended for the Eclipse to accept any race other than humans. It was Targetter who had made this change, among others, after the Dark Knight's death.

The three worked together in secrecy, speaking in hushed whispers to those around them who might support their cause. In time, their following grew, as did their influence within the Keep of the Eclipse. They set about building a new order of Dark Knights and made preparations for the day when they would overthrow the current leadership of the clan and rebuild it in San Godham's image.

On the day of the Great Betrayal, the Yinn Highlord of Eclipse, Vokkyn dra'Har, was slain by Ishamael. The generals of the keep and those still loyal to them were caught completely by surprised. Although they outnumbered the rebels, they did not possess the organization to defeat them. In the end, the Keeper of Eclipse, Martyr Drashe, surrendered the clan in exchange for his life. Shay Kayen was chosen as the new Highlord of the rebels. Those who remained that were not of human blood were made slaves, and the humans who remained within the keep began the arduous task of rebuilding its infrastructure.

Their rule did not last long. Those exiled from the Eclipse gathered their forces, hiring soldiers and mercenaries to aid them in retaking their home. The battle which followed was one of the bloodiest in the history of Algoron. Athough they fought valiantly, the Shadow Knights were outnumbered nearly three to one. The sun set upon nearly the complete destruction of the forces they had gathered.

Driven from the keep and abandoned by many of their former allies, the Shadow Knights all but collapsed. More than three-quarters of their number fell in the war or deserted afterward. The people of Algoron regarded them as remnants of a lost cause and took little to no pity upon them.

In the span of less than one month, the Shadow Knights had been reduced to a small handful. Many of its original founders had survived the war, however, and the following year, they began the construction of a massive citadel of marble and granite hidden deep within the Ivory Wastes south of New Thalos. Pirates were hired to transport the supplies necessary for its construction, doing so stealthily under the cover of darkness. Although rumors spread rapidly, no one was able to confirm them. Once its construction was complete, the Shadow Knights then began slowly collecting the fragments of their order and reforging them once again into San Godham's image.

Not long after, the prophet, Malcom, received a vision. Necrucifer would return. They vowed to deliver Algoron to Him as a gift when he came.